Clutch.



. W. .I. HERH'ICK.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 25. 1915.

Patented May 22, 1917.

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mus zrsns zu, bnamurum, wnsmnc ron, n. c.

w.1. HERmcK.

CLUTCH. APPucATloN FILED' Nov. 25.1916.

1,227,3`6. f Patented May 22,1917.

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w.1. HERRICK.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1916.

1,227', 1 36. Patented May 22, 1917.

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W. l.v HEBRICK.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION EILED Nov. 25. |916.

1,227,136. Patented May 22, 1917.

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,57 W" "'TIIIH92 A ,nnrrnn sTaTns PATENT onnion.

WILLIAM J. HERRICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLUTCH.

infames.l

Original application filed April 14, 1915, Serial No. 21,233. Divided and. this application filed November 25,

Patented May 22, 1917.

1916. Seria1N0.133,507.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HERRIGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My Vinvention relates to clutches and consists in the novel arrangements and organizations of parts as hereinafter described and .pointed out in the claims, this application being a division of my co-pending application filed April 14, 1915, bearing Serial Number 21,233 for transmission gears.

In the accompanyingdrawings, which eX- hibit the various features of my invention in practical form, and in which the same reference numerals designate the same or corresponding parts inthe different views,

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of parts illustrating an application of my invention Ato gearing for transmitting motion from a ldrive shaft to a driven shaft;

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively of Fig. 1, showing the relations of parts when the latch is disengaged and engaged respectively, parts being broken away in Fig. 3;

Fig. 4L is a detail side view of the combined latch and radial key employed;

Figs. 5 and 6 are top views of right and left hand latches respectively;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are detail vviews of parts of the latch mechanism in different positions;

Fig. 10 is a view in elevation showing one of the annular holders employed;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

12 is a view in elevation of one ofthe cam-rings movablymounted on the holders; Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of two of the cam-slides used on different holders, and Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view through one of thev holders and its cam ring on t e line 15-15 of Fig. 3. K n To illustrate a practical application of my invention vI here show it inv connection with the machine of my said co-pending application, and as the details of that machine are fully disclosed in that application I limit the disclosure of it herein to such partsr as aid in understanding the construe tion and operation of the clutch mechanism.

' able means.

The operating parts lare housed and supported in a suitable rectangular casing composed of a trough shaped body 1 and a cap or cover 3 provided with end plates 4, a controller shaft 16 being suitably mounted in the cap and extending out at one end through the cap so that it may be turned by any c0nvenient means as the handle 16 within reach of the operator.

A series of disks having similar peripheral cams'21, 22, 23 and`24 are removably connected to the key of the shaft 16, being fixed thereon vby suitable set-screws 25 passing through their hubs 26, and being set along the length of the shaft at diiferentcircumferential points, the cam shaft 16 being held against longitudinal displacement by suit- EachY of the cam disks 21, 22, 23 and 24: is provided on its body with a projecting pin 27 in the radial line of its associated cam-center, the pins of the cams 21, 22 and 23 facing in the same directionl as they are the cams governing the transmission of differential motion in the same direction at high, intermediate and low speeds respectively, while the pin of the cam 24 faces in the opposite direction as shown in Fig. 1 as it is the cam for motion in the reverse direction. Each of the h ubs 26 -is faced off or cut away as shown at 28 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The drive shaft 29 and the driven shaft 37 are adapted to be coupled directly together as hereafter described for the direct drive of the latter in the same direction and at the through a lay-shaft 41 to drive the shaft 37 in the same direction as, Ybut at different speeds from, the shaftI 29, and also to drive the shaft 37 in the reverse direction. In the form shown I provide for three different speeds of the driven shaft 37 in one direction, and for its single speed in the opposite direction, though it is obvious that the number of speeds may be varied by varying the necessary parts comprising a unit normally employed therefor. In `practice the driveshaft 29 is journaled in bearings and is pro` vided at its inner end with a head 35 in which the inner end of the driven shaft 37 is journaled, its outer end being journaled in the plate 39 andV connected with the driven machine. The lay-shaft i1 is suitably journaled at each end in the lower part of the case, as in end plates 43, and is adapted to be driven from the drive shaft as desired.

To drive the shaft 37 directly from shaft 29 for high speed in the same direction, while the lay-shaft 41 stands idle, the selective cam 21 operates on an associated latch (Fig. 2) located in a housing formed on the drive-shaft by the head 35 and a disk 96 bolted thereto at 97, and adapted to couple the housing to the shaft 37. The latch (Figs. 4 and comprises a body 54 pivotally mounted inthe chamber of the housing by means of suitable pintles 55 loosely journaled in the opposite sides of the housing, and a pair of oppositely extending head and tail wings 56 and 57, respectively, which are offset .from each other in different vertical planes and are adapted to be extended through a slot in the peripheral wall of the housing. 58 on its under-side which is adapted to pass through an opening 96 in the sleeve 96a ofthe housing to engage a key-way 98 in the shaft 37, and the key is extended laterally on both sides of the wing 56 to engage in opposite grooves 99 in the disk 96 and head 35 composing` the side walls of the housing curved on the arc of a circle whose center is that of the pivot of the latch, so that when the key is in its opera tive position it acts directly between Vthe shaft 37 and the sleeve 96a of the housing to transmit the force of the latter as the driving member directly to the former as the driven member and to'remove all strain from the other parts of the latch. The latch after being initially moved by its cam 21 is thrown to and held in its eXtreme engaging position by a spring. The tail of the latch carries a pin 62 movable in a slot 620 in the outer endof an arm 621 pivoted at 622 inthe housing and carrying at its inner end a rod 623 pivoted thereto at 624; the free end of the rod passes freely through a guide 625 rotatably mounted in the housing, and a coil-spring` 626 on the rod reacts between the guide and arm. The arrangement is such that the spring re-acting against the bracket 625 and the inner end of arm 621 throws the latter to the eX- treme of its movement on either side of pivot 622 (Figs. 7, 8, and 9), and the spring thus moves the latch through its final movement in engaging direction and holds it in the key-way 98. The latch employed in the present location is a right-hand latch (Fig. 5) in which the head 56 lies at the right side of its tail. The head 56 is deep enough to extend outside the housing when its key rests on the sleeve 96n and its upper curved edge then lies in the radius of its throw-in cam 21, 'the arrangement being such. that when this cam is set in its operative position it acts on the head 56 to throw the key down through the opening 96 in The head wing 56 carries a key inner end of the arm 621 is thrown inwardly across its pivot to permit the spring to force the key down in its path 99, and when the key revolving with the head 35 of the drive shaft reaches its key-way 98 in the Vshaft 37 the spring 626 moves the key -into its way so that the shaft 37 is rotated by the main shaft 29. The arrangement ofthe parts is such that the key 58 is in effect locked in its way by the spring, and the depression of the key into its way projects its tail 57 outwardly beyond its housing as shown in Fig. 7.

To drive 'the shaft 37 in the same direction as, but at different speeds from, the drive shaft 29, and also to drive the shaft 37 in the reverse direction, similarrlatches are employed between the shaft 37 and similar housings loose on said shaft and selec-` tively driven by the lay-shaft 41, which re ceives its motion from the drive shaft 29 in suitable manner. y

A bank of gears 63, 64 and 65 of different sizes is keyed on the lay-shaft 41, and a second bank of gears 66, 67 and 68 is loosely mounted` on the driven shaft 37 the gears 67 and 68 being of the" same size and pref-V erably larger thanthe gear 66; the gears 63 and 64 mesh respectively with the gears 66 and 67, and the gear 68 is driven from the gear so as to revolve in a direction opposite to the direction of the other loose gears by means of an interposed idle gear 69 loosely mounted on a stub-shaft not shown.

Each of the gears 66, 67 and 68 is coupled to and uncoupled from the driven shaft 37 by a left-hand latch (Fig. 6), the latches being respectively controlled and operated from the associated selective cams 22, 23 and on the controller shaft. Each gear 66, 67 and 68 carries a latch-housing whose walls are formed by the opposing face of the gear and an associated disk 71,n 72 and 73, respectively, the parts of each housing being bolted together by bolts 7 4, 75 and 76, respectively, with the associated latches p ivotally arranged in the respective chambers formed Ithereby, and adapted to have their keys 58 pass through similar openingsin the sleeve of the associated housing to engage key-ways 77,- 78 and 79, rspectively, and with their wings arranged to pass through peripheral slots in the chambers as above described. These various arrangements are exemplified in Figs. 1 and 3, the latter of which is a typical illustration of similar parts for the other gears66 and 68; each key 58 moves ina path formed by similar curved grooves cut in 'the opposing walls of its housing, as shown at 81 and 82 for example, each is depressed by its respective cam 22, 23 or 24 to enter the opening in 'the sleeve of its respective housing, as shown at 72 for example, "and when each reaches its associated key-way in the revolution of its gear it is moved into engagement with the shaft 37 .by its spring, the depression of' each key into its way moving its tail outwardly beyond its housing as shown in Fig. 3.

Each latch is normally locked in its inoperative position, being locked and unlocked by mechanism controlledby its cam-disk on the controller shaft 16. When the controller shaft is turned to rotate any one of its cams to its inoperative position, it causes the associated locking mechanism to engage'the tail 57 of the associated latch to retract its key to the top of its path out of engagement with the shaft 37 and to lock the latch in its retracted position. The locking mechanism locks each latch in its inoperative position as long as its associated cam remains inactive, and when this cam is selected this mechanism unlocks its latch for operationk but still locks the other latches in their inoperative positions.

At the housing of each gear 66, 67 and 68 a transverse-holder, preferably in the form of an annulus 83 (Fig. 10), is arranged with its ends fixed to the sides of the case by ears 84, and with its ring surrounding the shaft 37 and its connected parts. Each holder carries a plurality of tracks 85 providing intermediate radial ways 86 in which slides 87 are movably located, and also a plurality of shouldered studs 88 upon which a cam-ring 89 is mounted for concentric movement by elongated slots 90, the heads of the studs holding the cam-ring in `place against the faces of the tracks 85 on the annulus with the slides between the annulus and ring 15). Pins 91 fixed on the movable camrings enter diagonal slots in the slides to move the latter radially to and from the latches, it being understood that the slides of each -ring lie in the plane of the tail of an associated latch. The diagonalslots in the slides will be variously arranged according as the clutch is a one-way or twoway clutch, that is according as lits latch is operated by its cam approaching it from one or both sides or` directions. lFor example, the diagonal slots`92 inthe slides associated with the latch for the gear68 extend only in one vdirection (Fig. 13) kas this is the lreverse gear and the arrangement of the parts is such that the reverse position of the controller shaft is at one of the extremes of its movement and so the approach to this position is always in the same direction or by turning the controller shaft in one direction, while the slots 93 in the slides associ- *ated with the gears 66 and 67 are oppositely the parts is such that theapproach to either of these-positions may be from either side or by turning the controller shaft in either direction. Each cam-ring is also provided with a radial` slot 94 in the path of the pin 27 on its associated selective cam on the controller shaft 16, and each ring and its associated 'cam are provided with interlocking means, Vpreferably formed by the convex camehub 26 and yconcave notches 95 in the rings corresponding to the curvature of the hubs7 sol that when any one of the cams 22, 23 or 24 is turned to inoperative'position its hub will interlock with its cam-ring to prevent movement of the latter (Fig. 2) but when a cam is turned to operative posiltion thel faced-olf portion 28 of the hub will Y unlock its ring to permit the stud 27 on enf tering the slot 94 to move the ring (Fig. 3).

The parts arearranged with the head wings 56 of their respective latches in thepaths of their respective selective cams, and the tail wings in the paths of their yrespective slides.V

When the latches are disconnected from the shaft 77, the cam-rings 89V stand in locked position (Fig. 2 for example) with the pins 91 at the outer ends of their slots 92 or 93 (as the case may be) to hold the associated slides 87 in their inward position, and asv the slides are in the path of the initial movement of the latch tails 57 they lock' the latches in inoperative position to hold their keys out of the associated key-ways in the shaft 37, whereby the latter is not revolved. When the controller shaft is turned to its position to set any oney of its selective cams 22, 23 or 24, as in Fig. 3 for example, the associated cam-ring 89 is released by the disengagement of the parts 26 and 95, and the Y pin 27 ofthe selected cam enters its associ-r ated slot 94 to turnl its cam-ring, and the pins 91 of the ring will move the associatedV slides 87 to their outward position to release the tail wing 57 ,and the selected cam 22, 23 or 24 (as the case may be) will thenfpass to position in the path of thev head wing 56, and as the associated gear66, 67 or 68 is rotated from shaft 41 its latch will move ilnder its kcam and be pressed by it into the opening in the innerv wall of its housing and when this opening registers with the associated key-way on the shaft 37 the latch-key will be' forced bythe latch-spring into the key-way to revolve the shaft. The engaged or operative position of the parts is shown in Fig. 3 where the low gear 67 is coupled to the shaft 37, and it will be obvious that Ythe same result, is obtained for either of the other gears l66 or 68 according as its selec.- tive` camis moved to operative position, lthe selectivecamsr22, 23 and 24being set aty different circumferential points'on the controller shaft so vthat when any one of themV is in its operative Vposition the others willV be in their inoperative positions.

By this organization shaft 37 may be selectively ldriven from the lay-shaft at low and intermediate Vspeeds in the same direction as'shaft `29, and in vreverse direction thereto.

' While Vthe shaft 37 is thus indirectly driven by the lay-shaft, the clutch between the. shafts 29 and 37 is inoperative. The

latch .of this clutch is similarly'locked and unlocked by a set of slides 87 mounted in the radial ways in a holder 83 and having one-way diagonal slots 92 to receive the slide-operating pins 91 in amovable'camring 89 (F ig. 2), the arrangement of parts being similar to those for the vgear 68,'but with the slots 92 oppositely directed and the interlocking'notch 95 on the opposite side of slot 94, as the approach to the high speed position isin the opposite direction from the approach Vto the reverse-drive position. Whenthe cam 21 stands idle its hubV 26 interlocks with the notch 95 ofits cam-ring `to hold the slides in their inward position so that the tail wing 57 of its latch is locked in retracted position in the housing andthe latch. cannot engage the shaft 37 (Fig. 2), but when the cam 21 is moved to operative ,position the cut-away portion 28 of -its hub releases the cam-ring andthe pin 27 engages the slot 94 to move the ring to withdraw the slides to release the latch, and the cam 21 depresses its latch-key into the opening 96 .lof the sleeve of itshousing so that when this opening in the revolution of thehousing registers with the associated key-way 98 its. spring snaps its key into engagement with the shaft 37 to revolve thelatter.

WVheii the cam 21 is moved back to inoperative position its pin 27 rotates the cam-disk back to its original position to interlock with hub 26 and cause the slides to move inwardly and engage the latch tail 57 (Fig.

,-2) toy withdraw the key 58 from the key- .in other machines or relations to couple and uncouple driving and driven elements, its present'exemplification with the transmis--k siongearing of my said co-.pending appli-v cation Vbeing Y employed to- .illustrate a practical application of it, andvarious changes may bel made in the form and arrangement@ of the various parts.

- Il claim Y 1.' In a device ofthe classdescribed, a

shaft having a way, a housing loose on thev shaft@ and havin an o -eiiing registering t5 D 2D withV the way at' each revolution of the housing onl vthe shaft, aylatch pivoted in ther housing Vand-movable: toward and away fromthe shaft and having la key extending throughthe opening, and means to operate the latch-to cause-the keyto engage theway.

. 2. Inra device orf-,the class described,v a.

shaft having .a key-way, a.- housing loose on theshaft Vand-having alguideway, a `latch pivoted on thehousing and movable towardY and awayfrom the shaft and 'having a lateral keyYeXtending/rinto the guideway, and means to operate the latchrto cause thepkey f to engage` the key-way.

3. In a device of the classdescribed,ra shaft having a key-way a housing loose on the shaftand having guides in its walls, a

latch pivoted in the housing and movable to;- wardV and away from the shaft and having a lateral key extending into the guides, and means to cause the latch to engage and .diseno'age the key-way.

4. In a device of thev class described, a shaft Jrhaving a key-way, aV housing loose on the shaft and having guides in its walls, a latch pivoted in the housing and movable;

toward and away from theshaft and` having a `lateral key. injthe guides, and `selective means to move the latch to cause its keyV to engage and disengage the key-way. v

5. In a device of the class described, a shaft' `having a key-way, a housing loose on the shaftand'having an opening registering with thekey-way at each revolution ofV the housing on the shaft, guides in the housing, a latch pivoted inthe housing and movable toward and away from the shaft-andi having a key in the guides, and means to move the latch to cause the'key to pass throughf the opening and engage the key- Away. .y j Y p 6. In'v aadeviceof the class described, aV shaft, a'rotating member, a latch pivotedV Y on the rotating'member'and havingwings 126 indifferent planes, and means to alternately engage the wings of the latch; to

couple and uncouple the latch and shaft, the

said means also locking the latch in its uncoupled position.

7 In a .device of the class described, a

shaft, a rotating member, a latch pivoted on the rotating member and having wings in different planes, a ycam to engage the coupling wing of the latch, and a radially moving device to engage the uncoupling Wing of the latch.

8. In a device of the class described, a shaft, a driving member, a latch pivoted on the driving member and having Wings in di'erent planes, a cam to engage the coupling Wing of the latch, radially moving slides to engage its uncoupling Wing, and a selecting device to move the cam and slides to couple and uncouple the selected latch and shaft.

9. In a device of the class described, a shaft, a rotating member, a latch pivoted on said member and having oppositely eX- tending Wings in different planes, a cam to engage the coupling Wing, radially moving slides to engage the uncoupling wing, means to actuate theslides, and means on the cam to move the slide-actuating means.

10. In'a device of the class described, a shaft, a rotating member, a latch pivoted on said member and having oppositely eX- tending Wings in different planes, a cam to engage the conplingvving, radially moving slides to engage the uncoupling Wing having diagonal slots, a cam-ring having pins in said4 slots, and means on the cam to actuate the ring.

11. In a device of the class described, a

shaft, a rotating member, a latch pivoted on the rotating member and having Wings in different planes, a shaft having a cam to engage the coupling Wing, movable means to engage the uncoupling Wing, and connections betweenl said movable means and cam-shaft to move said means in one position of the shaft and to lock them in its other positions.

12. In a device of the class described, a shaft, a rotating member, a latch pivoted on the rotating member and having a pair of oppositely extending Wings in parallel planes, a shaft having a cam to engage the coupling Wing, a holder having radially movable slides to engage the uncoupling Wing, diagonal slots in said slides, a camring on the holder having pins in Said slots and provided With a radialslot and peripheral notch, a pin on the cam engaging the slot, and an interlocking sleeve on the cam engaging the notch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tvvo Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. HERRICK.

Witnesses:

J. MoRoBERTs. EDITH H. WILCOX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofl Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

